David Meyler has reaped the rewards of Manchester City’s apparent desire to relinquish its Premier League crown.
Meyler, a midfielder for Hull City, scored his team’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium. Meyler’s goal was one of the more comical strikes in recent Premier League history, and it nearly won the game for Hull City.
Manchester City played 34 largely listless minutes before elaborately conceding Meyler’s goal. The sequence started when veteran defender Martin Demichelis cleared a through-ball straight to Hull City’s Jake Livermore, who shot from 40 yards out. Goalkeeper Joe Hart was well off his goal line when he parried Livermore’s shot into Fernandinho’s path. The Manchester City midfielder should have booted the ball upfield but only cleared it as far as Gaston Ramirez.
The improbable play continued with Ramirez dribbling forward, then defender Pablo Zabaleta cleared the ball so hard off the Hull City winger’s shin that it shot past Hart off the post. The ball caromed back into the goal mouth, where Livermore rushed in to tap home his first goal of 2014-15.
James Milner spared Manchester City further embarrassment by scoring with a free kick late in the second half. Manchester City dropped two points in the Premier League standings, allowing Chelsea to open up a seven-point lead in the title race.
Hull City will cherish the point it earned on the road at what once was one of the Premier League’s most intimidating venue. Sometimes, it takes a lucky break or six to achieve the impossible.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@PremierLeague
